Thomas s



(No Model.)

T. s. GILBERT.

CORSET.

o. 357,917. Patented Feb. 15,1887,

a. PEI'ERS, vmwumu m w, Washington. 1:, c.

, commences.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS S. GILBERT, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO MAYER, STROUSE& CO., OF SAME PLACE.

CORSET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,917, dated February15, 1887.

Application filed November 23, 1886. Serial No. 210,582. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. GILBERT, of New Haven, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inCorsets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a front view of one breast portion of the corset; Fig. 2,-aside View of the same; Fig.3, the several parts forming the breastsection detached; Fig. 4, a horizontal section on line a; w of Fig. 1.

This invention relates to an improvement in corsets, with specialreference to the breast portion, the object being to give a rigidity tothe breast portion, to prevent the misshaping or breaking down of thisportion of the corset in wearing.

A represents the front edge of one side of the corset and at which thebreast-section The breast-section is composed of thre'everticalportions, B, C, and D. These portions are cut the full length ofthe'corset, as seen in Fig. 3. At the upper end of the part B, and uponthe rear, a convex curve, a, is cut, giving a projection or swell atthat point, and upon the front edge of the part D a like convexextension, b, is made, forming a like swell at that point, this curvecommencing at the lower part of the breast. The central portion, C, issubstantially of equal width V from top to bottom.

E F represent two gores, the two edges of which present a convex shape,and are in length substantially the height of the breast. They arearranged between the convex portions or b of the parts D B, as seen inFig. 3, and the parts are stitched together in the usual manner offorming corsets, and as seen in Fig. 1. This brings the strip Ccentrally up between the two gores E F over the front of the breast,while the upper edges of the two sides B D diverge at the bottom of thegores from the part C.

The parts are made of two thicknesses, as

usual, and between the two thicknesses which form the gores I introducea stiffening material-as buckram as seen in section, Fig. 4, thismaterial being indicated by d. This stiffening material is introducedinto the seams between the edges of the parts B and C and C 5 5 and D,which inclose the edges of the gore, as seen in Fig. 4., and beingstitched as shown, by a line of stitches centrally through the part C,as at c, Fig. 1, and like seam at each side of the parts B D,respectively, as indicated by the lines f 9, form substantial staysextending from the top of the corset down each side of the gores and tothe point of the gores at the bottom, which gives to the front of thecorset a great degree of stiffening, and without the actual introductionof bones.

At the upper end and front side of the part C, I introduce a gore, G, inwhich is a series of cords or stays extending from the front edgerearward and upward; and at the rear tendency to compress the breast orfront.

Thus I produce the breast portions of the corset stiff and firm, and yetwithout the introduction of the hard bones or springs heretoforenecessary, and the breast portion of the corset maintains its shape, andany reasonable degree of fullness may be given to the corset by thisconstruction without liability of its becoming misshaped in wearing.

I have omitted the hip and rear sections of the corset in illustratingthe invention, as

they may be of any of the known cuts or construction.

I claim In a corset, the breast-section composed of the verticalportions B C D, the portion B 0 curved upon its rear edge at the top ina convex shape, and the part D having a like convex projection upon itsfront edge, the central strip, C, of substantially equal width throughthe breast-section, the said three sec- 9 5 tions extending from the topto bottom, combined with a gore, E, between the parts B C, and a gore,F, between the parts 0 D, the said gores E F having an interlining ofstiffening upward and forward, the said parts united material, and withastayed gore, G, at the substantially as described. upper end of theforward edge of the part B,

the stays running from the forward edge diagonally upward, anda likestayed gore, H, \Vitnesses: at the rear edge of the part D, having staysJOSEPH E. FAIROHILD, therein running from the rear edge diagonally FRANKJ. HIGGINS.

THOMAS s. GILBERT.

